ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: ground · fall · tear · content · pound · stand · wax · charge

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. charge — electricity
  3. wax — to grow
  4. ground — the earth
  5. content — happy
  6. tear — from crying
  7. fall — to drop
  8. tear — to rip
  9. pound — a weight
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. tear — from crying
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. fall — the season
  14. charge — in control
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. stand — to bear
  17. content — the amount
  18. ground — crushed
  19. ground — a position
  20. charge — a price
  21. fall — to drop
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. content — videos and posts

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com